


Project Wingman

by EverydayGeek



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, Love, Romance, Secret Admirer, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-01 04:50:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2760212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverydayGeek/pseuds/EverydayGeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina has a secret admirer. Unknown to her, this mystery person has been standing right before her eyes all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Delivery for Miss Regina Mills."

"A delivery for me? From whom?" The brunette asks in confusion, eyeing the bouquet of sunflowers being offered to her in suspicion. The teen delivery boy just shrugs in response, handing her a card that is placed atop—what looks to be—a box of chocolates.

"I don't know, lady. I just make the deliveries." Regina rolls her eyes at the boy's attitude and hands him a two dollar tip, shooing the teen out of her office. He takes the hint and leaves, closing the door softly behind him. Once he's out of sight, Regina looks down at the card, eyeing it warily. Who would send her flowers? She decides to give in to her curiosity and, slowly, opens the card, reading over the three simple words written in it.

_You look beautiful. –T.S._

Regina looks down at the signed initials with furrowed brows. Who the hell is T.S. and how the hell do they know she looks beautiful right now? Not that Regina doesn't find herself beautiful, because let's face it, she's beautiful all the time and she knows it. But enough about the message written in the card; the initials signed on it is what has Regina intrigued. As far as Regina knows, no one in Storybrooke holds the initials "T.S.". Who could this person be, and why didn't they just man— _or woman—_ up, and sign their actual name. Regina places the card carefully on her desk, turning her attention to the box of chocolates resting beside the flowers. She pulls the box towards herself and gently pulls off the lid, gasping in surprise when she sees that the box contains her favorite chocolates: caramel truffles.

It looks as if her so-called secret admirer, "T.S.", is someone who knows her quite well, or, at least, someone who knows someone close to her quite well. Henry. Unfortunately for Regina, that could be just about anyone in this godforsaken town. Her son is quite popular with the townsfolk. Maybe she could just ask Henry if he knows who sent her these... _gifts_. Regina then picks up the bouquet of sunflowers—also her favorites—and lifts them to her nose, inhaling the sweet smell wafting off of them, a small smile making its way across her lips. Just as she's about place the flowers back on her desk, a knock on her office door startles her. She wipes the small smile off of her face, and clears her throat loudly, croaking out a less than poised "come in." Her door opens a few short moments later, and in walks Emma Swan.

"Sheriff." Regina greets curtly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" The younger woman clears her throat awkwardly, and walks up to the mayor's desk, holding out a manila envelope for the older woman to take.

"These are the reports you asked for."

"I asked for these weeks ago, Emma. How nice of you to  _finally_  complete your required tasks. Just place them on my desk, and be on your merry way to wherever it is you go after work." Regina says dismissively, waving a hand at the stunned sheriff. Emma gapes at Regina, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Regina looks back at the blonde with a quirked brow, noticing the lack of movement being made by the other woman. "Was there something else, Miss Swan?"

"N-no. Um, those are some pretty flowers. Where'd you get them?" Emma asks instead, avoiding Regina's previous question. Regina stares at Emma suspiciously, her perfectly manicured eyebrow still quirked questioningly.

"None of your business, so please, see our way out." Regina says shortly, dismissing Emma a second time. Emma takes the hint this time and offers the brunette a small, awkward smile, and turns on her heels, making her way towards the door. "Oh, and Emma?" Regina's voice calls out, halting Emma's movements. The blonde turns her head towards the brunette. "Don't forget to take Henry to his doctor's appointment at 4:30." The brunette reminds the blonde. Emma rolls her eyes and nods, opening the office door, only to close it a few moments later as she exits. Regina sighs to herself and looks down at her  _gifts_ , wanting now, more than ever, to know who sent them to her. She  _will_  figure it out, she just needs to find a way to get her son to spill the beans. She knows for a fact that he helped with this. It has Henry written all over it.

* * *

 

"Hey, mom. Whatcha got there?" Henry says with a grin, eyeing the flowers and chocolates resting on the kitchen counter. Regina turns around from her spot at the counter, and makes her way over to her son, pulling him into a tight hug. Henry rolls his eyes at his mother's over affectionate behavior, but hugs her back just as tightly; teenager or not, he still loves receiving hugs from his mother. Regina pulls back after a moment, placing a kiss on his cheek and smoothing down his unruly curls with the palm of her hand.

"How was your doctor's appointment?" Regina asks the teen, taking a seat at the barstool placed in front of the counter. Henry shrugs off his backpack and places it on the counter, taking a seat beside his mother.

"It was like every other doctor's appointment. Nothing special. So, where'd you get the chocolates and flowers?" Henry asks with a smirk, noticing the blush spreading across his mother's cheeks with delight.

"Well, it was delivered to me from an unknown source." Regina tells him. Henry narrows his eyes at that.

"An unknown source? You mean, you have no idea who sent it?" He questions, shaking his head to himself. It looks like his blonde mother chickened out yet again.

"No…actually, I was going to ask if  _you_  knew who sent it."

"Me?" He asks nervously, avoiding his mother's suspicious gaze. Of course he knows who sent it. Honestly, he doesn't think there's one person in this town who doesn't know who sent it. For someone so intelligent, his mother could the most oblivious person in the world. How she hasn't figured out that Emma is in love with her, is beyond him. But maybe his mothers just need a little push?

"Yes, you. This person sent me my favorite type of flowers  _and_  my favorite type of chocolates. The only person who knows of my favorites is you. So, spill. Who sent it?" Henry looks away from his mother, mashing his bottom lip between his teeth. He wonders what type of clue he could give his mother; one that could help lead her to his other mother, without fully giving away Emma's identity.

"What did this person sign as their name on the card?"

"How did you know there was a card?"

"Mom. Seriously?" Regina sighs.

"T.S."

Henry chuckles under his breath because  _of course_  his mother would use something as short and inconspicuous as "T.S." She knows that Regina would never figure it out. Henry turns back to his mom, noting her narrowed eyes, and quirked eyebrow. "Okay, I do know who it is, but if they signed the card with anything other than their name, then I am not at liberty to discuss this with you. I can give you a clue, however." He states. Regina perks up a bit and nods.

"Okay, give me the clue." She demands impatiently. Henry chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. He cannot wait for the day his mom figures it out. That's going to be an interesting day.

"The initials, T and S, stand for this person's nickname, or in better terms, their appointed title."

"That's it? That's your hint? Give me one more." His mother demands, causing another chuckle to escape his throat.

"Okay, fine, but this is your last hint." He warns his mother. She rolls her eyes at both him, and herself, and nods. "The colors red and green are often associated with this person." He says. Regina furrows her brows at that.

"Are they the Grinch or what?"

"You'll figure it out sooner or later, mom. I'm going to head upstairs to take a quick shower. Be back in 10." He says to his mom, rising up from his seat, and placing a kiss on Regina's cheek before exiting the kitchen. Regina sits back in her seat, trying to figure out the identity of this mystery person, but only manages to come up empty. Regina lifts up the flowers from their spot on the counter, and for the third time that day, brings the petals to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent, and allowing a smile to grace her face.

"Whoever you are, you are extremely sweet." Regina says to no one in particular, picking up the card from earlier, and staring intently at the three words written on it, as if they will reveal the sender's identity. Regina sighs to herself and places the card and flowers back on the counter, rising up from her seat to check on dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, kid. You have five minutes to tell me everything. How did your mom like the flowers and chocolates?" Emma asks her son quietly, watching the entrance of Granny's diner from the corner of her eye cautiously, not wanting to risk Regina sneaking up on her, and hearing her and Henry's conversation. Henry notices this and rolls his eyes. His ma could be such a paranoid dweeb sometimes.

"When mom arrives, you'll know. There's a bell placed on top of the door for a reason." He says with an exasperated sigh, causing his mother's cheeks to tinge pink in embarrassment.

"Right. I forgot about that…" She mumbles under breath before remembering that her previous question had gone unanswered. "So? Did she like them?" Emma asks nervously.

"She loved them. I caught her smiling to herself on more than one occasion last night. I honestly don't think I've ever seen her smile that much since…well, since  _ever_." He tells her truthfully, recalling the tiny smiles that would randomly appear on his other mother's face throughout dinner; how her attention was constantly drawn to the flowers resting atop their kitchen counter—now placed in her  _special_  vase. He remembers walking into his mother's bedroom to wish her goodnight, only to catch her stuffing Emma's card under her pillow with a deer-caught-in-headlights expression on her face. He found it nice to see his mother put her guard down for once; even if it was only for a moment.

"That's good;  _great,_  even. Did she enjoy my card?"

"She loved your  _sweet_  message. But she also hated that the  _sender_  was too much of a coward to sign their actual name. And I have to agree with her. I thought we agreed that you were going to sign your name on it; not sign off with initials you know she'll never figure out." Henry admonishes, causing Emma to pout at the kid, a guilty expression on her face.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I was going to put my name, I swear. But then I chickened out. Your mom already hates my guts as it is, and I just didn't want her to think that my card, or flowers, were a joke."

"My mom doesn't hate you. She doesn't even dislike you. She likes you, she just doesn't know how to show affection very well; unless that affection is aimed towards  _me_. She's just a little rough around the edges." Henry defends. Emma smiles at the boy's protectiveness over his other mother, and runs her fingers through his unruly brown curls. He's come a long way from that stubborn ten year old boy who used to fight against Regina. He's now become that stubborn fifteen year old boy who fights  _for_  Regina. It's amazing to see how much he's grown since then; both emotionally and physically.

"I know, Henry. I know, I just—sometimes I feel as if your mom hasn't forgiven me for that whole Marian-Robin debacle. She and I had come such a long way, and then  _that_  happened, causing all of our progress to disappear. Things haven't been the same between us ever since…" Emma trails off.

"But mom is completely over that. Besides, all of that happened over a year ago, and Robin was a douche to both her  _and_  Marian. Mom deserved better anyway; you know that as well I do. What's done is done, ma. Stop living in the past and start working towards a brighter future. A future where you, mom, and I can finally be a family." Henry tells the blonde, passion and determination dripping from his voice. Emma smirks at her son and nudges him playfully in the shoulder.

"I think you've heard one too many motivational speeches, kid." Henry rolls his eyes and prepares a retort, only to be cut off when the diner door swings open, revealing his other mother. He watches as Regina looks around the diner, before her eyes land on him. He grins at her and waves her over to join him and Emma. When Regina begins walking towards them, Henry feels his blonde mother stiffen with tension and anxiety. Henry reaches beneath the table and offers Emma's hand a reassuring squeeze, exhaling in relief when he sees the tension start to leave her body.

"Hi, sweetie." Regina greets her son, sliding into the seat across from the brunette and blonde pair. Henry just smiles in response, receiving a smile back. Regina then turns her attention to the blonde woman seated next to her son. "Emma." She says with a polite nod.

"H-hey, Regina." Emma stutters out, mentally slapping herself for getting tongue tied already. She's only been in the other woman's presence for five whole seconds, and already she's a stuttering mess _. Get it together woman_ , Emma thinks to herself.

"So, have you guys ordered yet?"

"No, we were waiting for you." Henry informs her. Regina nods and Emma takes that as her cue to wave Ruby over. Ruby walks over to the trio, a pad and pen in hand.

"What can I get for you all?"

"I'll have a cheeseburger and a coke." Emma tells her friend.

"I'll have the same." Henry tells her, avoiding Regina's disapproving glare.

"I'll have a garden burger with a sweet tea. Also, nix the coke for Henry, and replace that order with water."

"But mom…" Henry starts, but immediately closes his mouth when his mother sends him a pointed glare. Emma and Ruby watch the scene with amusement, both chuckling under their breaths. "Fine." He grumbles to Ruby. Ruby nods—doing her best to suppress a smirk—and crosses out his original drink order, replacing it with Regina's request.

"Okay, you're all set. I'll just go put your orders in and return with your drinks." Ruby tells the trio, shooting an apologetic smile towards Henry, and a discreet wink towards Emma.

"So…" Emma starts, breaking the newly descended silence, snapping Henry and Regina's attention to her. When Emma's eyes meet Regina's, a pink tint makes its way across her cheeks, and her throat turns dry.

"Do you have something to say, Emma?" Regina asks with a quirked brow.

"Um… how has your day been?" Emma says lamely, rolling her eyes at herself.

"It's been great, thank you. How about you? Did you and Henry have fun today?" Regina questions awkwardly, aiming a small smile towards her son. Emma and Henry exchange looks and smile at one another.

"Yeah, we totally had a blast. I took him to a skate park outside of town, and then we went to see an action flick."

"Sounds like a fun day." Regina responds politely, not really one for small talk. Emma smiles awkwardly at the brunette woman and refocuses her attention on the beverages being placed before them by a faceless waiter.

"Your food should be out any minute." The faceless waiter informs them, walking away without another word. Emma takes her straw between her thumb and index finger, swirling it around in her drink.

"So, mom, have you figured out what your secret admirer's initials stand for yet?" Henry asks Regina, wanting desperately to break the tense silence surrounding their table. If he wants his mothers to finally get together, then he's going to have to  _push_  them together. Make them talk. Anything would be better than their awkward silences, tensed shoulders, and avoidance of eye contact.

"I…is it really appropriate to talk about this in front of company?" Regina says in a hushed voice, or, as hushed as she can manage, seeing as Emma is sitting directly across from her, and can hear every word regardless.

"It's okay. I already filled ma in on your secret admirer." Henry says, internally chuckling at the wide eyed looks from both his mothers.

"Oh." Regina says uncomfortably. "Very well then. So, I kept thinking of your clues, and so far, my only guess is that "T.S." stands for  _The Santa…_. Am I close?" Regina asks her son embarrassedly, ignoring the snort of amusement coming from the blonde beside him. "Do shut up, dear." Regina snaps at Emma, causing the blonde to suppress the smile that's threatening to spread across her lips.  _The Santa? Really, Regina? Gosh, you're freaking adorable,_  Emma thinks to herself, staring at the brunette before her with adoring eyes. Regina, of course, doesn't notice the look, instead, focusing her attention on her son. "You didn't give me much to go on, Henry."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"What clues did he give you, exactly?" Emma questions curiously.

Regina sighs to herself and shrugs.  _Might as well tell her_. "All he told me was that their initials stood for an appointed title of theirs, and that the colors red and green were often associated with them. That's all I know. And let me guess, you also already know who this secret admirer is." Regina states with an eye roll. Emma smiles sheepishly at the woman and shrugs. "Just  _great_. At least tell me this: is this person a creep?" Regina asks. Emma quickly shakes her head in the negative. She is definitely not a creep. "I'd certainly hope not."

"Here you guys go. Enjoy your food." Ruby says, approaching the table with a tray of plates, placing the food before the trio. They smile their thanks at the brunette waitress and dig in, dismissing their previous discussion in the favor of food.

* * *

 

_The Next Day…_

"Delivery for Miss Regina Mills."

"Another one?" Regina questions, eyeing the teen delivery boy from yesterday in astonishment. He shrugs and hands her another bouquet of flowers, as well as a small stuffed animal. Regina takes the items off of his hands and hands him another two dollar tip, shooing the teen out of her office. He takes the hint with an unfazed shrug and exits the office, closing the door softly behind him. Regina takes a moment to examine this new bouquet, smiling when she sees an assortment of wildflowers; her second favorite type of flower. She brings the flowers to her nose and inhales the sweet scent, smiling to herself when she sees a small card sticking out of the band that's holding the bouquet together.

Regina removes the card from the band, gently placing the flowers onto her desk, and opens up the card, reading over the short, hand-written, message.

_You're beautiful when you smile. You should do it more often. -T.S._

Unconsciously, a large smile makes its way across the brunette's lips. Regina places the card facedown onto her desk, lifting the forgotten stuffed animal to her face for inspection. Regina takes in the teddy bear's appearance—its forest green fur, the red Christmas hat placed upon its head, and the permanent smile adorning its face. Regina cuddles the stuffed animal into her arms, resting her chin upon the bear's hat-clad head, and eyeing the bouquet of flowers resting on her desk.

"Red and green. Someone close to Henry. T.S. Not a creeper." Regina recites her clues, trying to conjure up an image of this person, but only coming up empty. She releases a frustrated sigh and grips the bear tightly. "I need more clues." She mumbles to herself.

"Who are you, mystery person, and why won't you just reveal yourself?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning, Regina. Will you be having your usual?" Ruby asks the older brunette cheerfully, already reaching for a takeout coffee cup, and a blueberry muffin. Regina smiles politely at the waitress and nods, taking a seat at the counter. Ruby pours Regina a coffee, and takes out two blueberry muffins from the display case, placing them into a paper bag. The waitress slides the items to the older brunette, and watches as the mayor takes out her wallet to pay for them. Ruby puts her hands up in a halting movement—shaking her head—and motions for Regina to put her money away. "It's on the house."

"What?" Regina asks, a confused frown tugging at her lips.

"It's been paid for already. Also, the person responsible for covering your tab left you this." Ruby says to the mayor, handing her a pink post-it note. Regina takes the note cautiously, bringing it closer to her face for inspection. Regina stares at the handwriting that she's seen every day for the last week, and does her best to ignore the small smile tugging at her lips. She reads over the short message with an internal smile, ignoring Ruby's knowing look.

_I hope you enjoy your breakfast. Just so you know, I had Ruby slip you an extra muffin; ya know, just in case you're still hungry after eating your first one. I hope you have an awesome day, Madame Mayor.—T.S._

Regina stares at the note— the smile she's been holding back, finally spreading across her lips. Ruby notices the smile on Regina's face, and smiles to herself, glad that Emma did something—sort of—right. If only her stubborn friend would just tell Regina that she's her secret admirer, and finally put an end to this little cowardly game she's got going on. Ruby cannot wait for the two dense idiots to get their crap together and, finally, become an official couple. The waitress clears her throat, snapping Regina out of her note-induced haze. Ruby shoots her an amused, close-mouthed smile, quirking her brows in a knowing manner. Regina clears her throat uncomfortably, grabbing her coffee and bag of goodies, nodding politely towards Ruby, before jumping up from her seat and exiting the diner. Ruby chuckles under her breath, and shakes her head in amusement. "Dork", she mutters to no one in particular, before going back to work.

* * *

 

"No, Sidney. No, I want those budget reports  _now_. Well, get them done and have them on my desk by 5 p.m. today. Maybe if you hadn't procrastinated you wouldn't be in this predicament.  _Goodbye_ , Sidney." Regina says with an irritated huff, smashing the phone onto the receiver, eliciting a loud thud in response. Regina releases a tired sigh and leans back into her chair, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths to calm her annoyance. Just when she feels she's starting to calm down, a knock sounds at her office door, snapping her out of her semi-calm state. Regina groans quietly, and says a quiet "come in." A moment later, Emma enters her office, holding several manila folders in her hands. "What do you have there, Miss Swan?" Regina asks the blonde tiredly.

"Just some of the incident reports you requested. I got them done early and decided to bring them to you. I hope that's okay." Emma says sheepishly, noticing the tiredness and annoyance wafting off of the mayor. Regina releases a heavy sigh and nods.

"That's fine, Miss Swan. Just place them on my desk." Emma walks up to the mayor's desk and places the folders next to a large pile of documents. Once she's discarded her folders onto the desk—instead of exiting the office—Emma decides to take a seat across from the tired mayor, sitting down in one of the client chairs. Regina's eyes peek open when she has yet to hear the opening and closing of her office door, only to widen them when she sees Emma still in her office. "Is there something else, Miss Swan?"

"Yes. I would like you to drop the formalities. I'd appreciate it if you would call me,  _Emma_." Emma tells the woman curtly, receiving a look of disbelief from the older woman.

"I'm sorry? What makes you think we are on a personal enough level to address each other by such informalities?"

"Are you freaking serious right now, Regina? We've known each other for five years, share a son, have saved one another's life on more than one occasion; we're pretty much family. I just—I would like it if you would just refer to me by my first name. I think we're close enough for that." Emma says with a nonchalant shrug, causing the brunette's eyes to narrow dangerously.

"Close? What makes you think I even like you?" Regina questions with a quirked brow.

"Well,  _Henry_  for starters. He told me that you like me, and I'm starting to believe that you do too." Emma says confidently, causing a falter in the brunette's stance.

"And what gives you that idea?"

"You've let me have dinner at your house four days in a row this week, and not only that, but you've been giving me extras to take home with me. If that isn't  _like_ , then I don't know what is."

"I did that for Henry." Regina argues weakly.

"You did it for me."

"I don't even like you, Miss Swan."

"It's  _Emma_ , and yes you do."

"How about you—

"Delivery for Miss Mills." The teen delivery boy—that Regina has become quite familiar with—announces from her doorway, entering with a bouquet of lilies in hand, as well as another gift that is tucked beneath his arm. As the teen nears Regina's desk, his eyes land on Emma, a flash of recognition crossing his features. Just as he opens his mouth—to blow her cover, no doubt—Emma shoots him a murderous glare that causes his eyes to widen, and his mouth to snap shut. He hands over the bouquet, as well as what looks to be a vinyl record, to Regina, and quickly makes his way out of the office, not even bothering to stick around for his tip. Regina shrugs at the boy's odd behavior, having missed his silent exchange with Emma, and inspects the bouquet with a small smile, bringing the flowers to her nose.

"So, your secret admirer strikes again, I see." Emma says awkwardly, snapping Regina's attention back to her.

"It would appear so." Regina says absentmindedly, running her fingers, gently, over the lily's petals. Emma watches as Regina smiles, mostly to herself, and strokes the flower petals with care. The blonde watches as the brunette places the flowers on her desk, and picks up the  _Etta James_ vinyl record.  _A vinyl record that took forever to find_ , Emma adds in thought. After searching for it everywhere online, and not having any luck, Emma ended up finding it in a Goodwill outside of town; it cost her 3 bucks. The smile currently adorning Regina's face, however? Priceless.

"It looks like you got some pretty sweet gifts."

"Yes, I suppose I did." Regina says absently, roaming her eyes over the track listing.

"So, are you any closer to figuring out who this mystery person is?"

Regina sighs, placing the vinyl gently on her desk. "No, unfortunately, I am not. It seems as if everyone in this town is aware of this person's identity. Except for me."

"Well, is there anyone that you  _want_  it to be?" Emma asks curiously, staring at the brunette with a questioning expression on her face. Regina stares at the blonde with an undecipherable look.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Emma. You and I are not friends."

"I beg to differ. We  _are_  friends. We have lunch together once a week, we eat dinner together on most nights, we share inside jokes that no one else understands. Regina…we are most definitely  _friends_." Emma says with a smug smile, causing Regina to roll her eyes at the woman's, admittedly flawless, logic. She makes an annoyingly valid point. Regina lets out a defeated huff and leans back in her chair, a pained smile plastered on her face. She hates it when Emma Swan is right about anything. Gosh, she can't believe she's even admitting that Emma, of all people, is actually  _right_. It bugs her. She's friends with Emma Swan and didn't even realize it. How screwed up is that?

"No, there's no one I want it to be." She answers half-truthfully. A part of her—a very small part—wants it to be the blonde in front of her. But she would never admit that to anyone—hell, she can barely even admit it to  _herself_. Maybe if she didn't find the younger woman so irritating most of the time, she'd admit it. But for now, she'll deny any and all attraction she feels towards the blonde.

"Oh." Emma squeaks out sadly, not even bothering to mask the sadness. Regina eyes the woman in confusion, not understanding the sudden change in mood, but not questioning it either. "Well, I guess I should be getting back to the station. David can only handle being alone in there for so long. See you later, Regina."

Regina watches as the woman rises up from her seat, and makes her way towards her office door. "Have a nice day, Miss, uh, I mean,  _Emma_. Have a nice day,  _Emma_." The brunette says, aiming a small smile towards the blonde. Emma musters up a small smile back, and nods once before exiting the office and closing the door behind her. Regina sighs to herself and looks back at her bouquet of flowers, just noticing the small note sticking out of the flower band. She removes the note, roaming her eyes over the written words.

_Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. According to the florist, Calla Lilies mean beauty, and I thought to myself, what better flower to get you than the one that describes you the best. I hope you like them. I also hope you enjoy the Etta James record; it was hard to find. I hope these gifts brighten up your day, the way your smile brightens up mine.—T.S._

By the end of the note, Regina finds herself smiling like a lovesick teen. To think that a complete stranger can make her feel this giddy. If only a certain blonde would show this type of interest in her _. Oh well_ , Regina thinks to herself. It's a good thing that she doesn't like Emma  _that much_. Or so she's been telling herself for the last five years; throwing insult after insult at the blonde to cover up her true feelings. It's an elementary crush tactic, yes, but it seems to work well for her. Emma would never guess Regina's real feelings for her, and Regina prefers it that way. Even though, lately, Regina has been finding herself being a bit nicer to Emma, and unfortunately, Emma has noticed. Rewind to five minutes ago when Emma mentioned their dinners, inside jokes, and Regina packing her extra plates to take home with her. Regina has been using the excuse of Henry for all of their get-togethers and things of the like, but in reality, it's always  _her_  suggestion, or  _her_  doing. It's sad, really; liking the person you're supposed to hate.

Regina sighs for the umpteenth time, rereads the note in her hand, and looks over the flowers and vinyl lying on her desk. All courtesy of  _T.S._  Maybe  _T.S_. stands for " _The Shit_ ", or " _Terrible Sex_ " or " _Tough Shit_ ". But who the hell would want to have either of those as an appointed title?

If only  _T.S_. stood for " _The Swan_ ".


	4. Chapter 4

"Is it just me, or is our home beginning to resemble a botanical garden?" Henry questions aloud as he places a new set of flowers—gardenias this time—into another water-filled vase. He looks around their kitchen, shaking his head in bemusement, noting that the kitchen holds eight different types of bouquets, while the living and dining room are holding two bouquets each. This is getting out of hand. He gets that his blonde mother is scared to confess her feelings to his brunette mother, but sending flowers every day for the last  _twelve_  days is a bit much. Sure, the flowers, as well as the notes that often accompany them, never fail to put a smile on his mother's face; and sure, he loves getting to witness that genuine, unguarded smile. But he is tired of his mothers refusing to address the giant elephant in the room. He's watched them dance around the obvious for far too long.

From the moment Emma entered their lives, Henry had noticed the immediate attraction between his mothers. Even at the age of ten, he managed to pick up on a few things. He has always noticed the bashful smiles, the lingering glances, the uncharacteristic silences that would follow that rare compliment, and the disgustingly obvious eye sex (which he didn't notice until recently) that his mothers would unabashedly partake in. He's noticed everything;  _everyone_  has. Or more like, everyone  _except_  his oblivious mothers. It's exhausting just being near them sometimes. There's always so much tension—both awkward and sexual—that surrounds them. It's both gross and uncomfortable for the teen boy. He just wishes they would get everything out in the open and stop tip-toeing around one another. It's starting to get really old, really fast.

"I think the flowers perk the place up a bit; gives it a little color and liveliness." Regina tells her son as she enters the kitchen with a new bouquet in hand.

"Please tell me that wasn't just delivered." Henry states warily, his eyes shutting tightly in exasperation.

"It wasn't just delivered?" Regina lies unconvincingly. Henry releases a sigh of frustration and walks over to kitchen counter, removing two of the flower-filled vases. Regina watches her son in confusion as he begins walking towards the kitchen's entrance, both vases in hand. "Where are you taking those?"

"To your bedroom; there's way too many down here." He informs her. He exits the kitchen swiftly before his mother can stop him. Once he's on the second floor, and in his mother's bedroom, he places one vase on her dresser, and the other in her en suite bathroom. He shakes his head to himself—exiting his mother's room and heading to his own—while taking out his phone to dial his ma's number. After two rings, his ma's voice answers in a chipper tone.

"Hey, ki—

"No, do not  _'hey kid'_ , me! All of your stinking bouquets are taking over my home, ma. Either you woman up and tell mom your true identity, or find something else to deliver! I am going crazy with the amount of flowers displayed on every surface of this house. Downstairs resembles a botanical garden, ma.  _A botanical garden_! I am so sick of watching you two constantly tip toe around one another, when all you have to do is admit your feelings! I mean, you're both acting like children, and last time I checked,  _I'm_  supposed to be the child; not you two. This has to end now, ma!" Henry exclaims breathlessly, concluding his, much needed, rant. His mother sits on the other line, temporarily stunned into silence.

"Geez, kid. Tell me how you really feel."

"This is not the time for jokes, ma. You and mom have been in love with one another for years, and like everyone else in this town, I am aware of this."

"Your mom isn't in love with me, kid."

"She  _is_! My mom has had bad luck with previous suitors, as have you, and she's just scared of allowing herself to fall and be vulnerable. She's protecting her heart."

"Are you sure you're just 15, and not a 50 year old trapped in a teenage boy's body?" Emma asks playfully, though there's an underlying seriousness to her tone. Henry rolls his eyes at his mother's evasiveness, and plops down on his bed—lying flat on his back—while covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow.

"You have to tell, mom. I don't think she's any closer to figuring out what the initials mean, and honestly? I am two seconds away from outright telling her. How can someone so intelligent, be  _this_  dense?" Henry questions rhetorically, a groan escaping his throat.

"Look, kid, just give her a few more days, and if she doesn't figure it out, then I will reveal my identity." Emma reasons with her son.

"Two days, ma. You get two more days. If she doesn't figure it out by then, and you don't uphold your side of the bargain, then I am telling mom who you are." Henry says sternly, sounding more like the parent than the child. Emma pouts over the line, and grumbles out a petulant "fine". "Great, now that it's settled, I will see you tomorrow afterschool. Bye ma."

"Bye, Henry. I love you."

"Love you, too. Bye." Henry says into the receiver, removing the phone from his ear, and blindly throwing it to the other side of his queen-sized mattress—a loud sigh escaping his mouth. He needs to speed up the process of this inevitable get together. But the question is:  _how_? A knock on his door frame snaps him out of his wandering thought process, and he removes his arm from over his eyes, focusing his attention on his mom.

"Hey, who were you just talking to?" Regina questions as she steps further into his room, taking a seat beside him on his bed. Henry sits upright and shrugs.

"Just ma."

"Oh, what were you guys talking about?" Regina asks nonchalantly, though the curiousness and hopefulness in her eyes is not lost on the teen.  _I think I just figured out how to speed this along,_ Henry thinks to himself with a mischievous smirk.

"You." Regina's eyes widen in pleasant surprise at the information, though she tries to hide it by clearing her throat.

"What about me?"

"Oh, well ma was just telling me how beautiful she thought you looked yesterday during lunch. She said that she didn't think it was possible for a human to possess such goddess-like beauty." He informs his mother with a straight face, though internally, he's grimacing. Unfortunately, he isn't making that up. His ma really did say that yesterday, and it was absolutely barf-worthy. Sure, he wants his mothers to get together, but he believes that their sappy compliments are one of the few things he's not looking forward to. Regina's eyes widen at that, and a blush takes over her cheeks.

"S-she did?" She asks quietly, not wanting to get her hopes up if Emma only meant it sarcastically. Henry seems to sense her doubt, and places a hand atop hers. Regina looks to him, and their eyes lock.

"Yeah, mom. She did. And she meant it." He tells her, hoping the truthfulness shows in his eyes. Regina exhales a shaky breath, and bites her bottom lip to stop the smile that's threating to spread across her face.

"Uh, w-what else did she say about me?" Henry grins, feeling that his plan is already working.

"She said that she wishes she could come here for dinner every night because your food is the best thing she's ever tasted." He says, recalling every other compliment his ma has said about his mom. "She said that if you weren't already the mayor, that she could definitely see you becoming a professional chef." And with that, he begins rattling compliment after compliment, causing his mother to smile wider and wider, and her face to become redder and redder. After about fifteen minutes of discussing things Emma has said about Regina, Henry internally gives himself a pat on the back.  _I'm the best wingman ever_ , He thinks happily.

"Wow. Emma really said all of that about me?" Regina says in awe, not quite believing her ears. Who would have thought that Emma would actually think these things of her?

"Yep. Anyway, I have to get ready for my shift at grandpa's shop. We'll talk more later." Henry tells his mother as he rises up from his bed, and makes his way to the hallway bathroom—leaving behind a, goofily, grinning Regina.

* * *

 

"Ah, Emma, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Regina says to Emma as the blonde enters her office, the usual snark in her tone absent. Emma plops onto one of the client chairs facing Regina, and smiles.

"I brought you lunch." Emma tells the brunette, placing a paper bag onto Regina's desk. Regina's mouth hangs agape, surprised by the unexpectedly friendly gesture.

"T-thank you. You didn't have to do that." Regina says, completely touched by the small act of kindness.

"I wanted to. You've been feeding me for the last few years; the least I could do is return the favor every once in a while." Emma says with a nonchalant shrug, her heat fluttering in her chest when Regina aims a small, but genuine, smile in her direction.

"Thank you." Regina says softly, opening the bag to peek at its contents. She smiles when she opens the small container in the bag, revealing Granny's vegetarian lasagna. "You got my favorite."

"Well, I  _am_  your friend. I do pay attention to you." Emma reminds the brunette, leaning back in her chair, and crossing her legs. "So, how's the search for your secret admirer going?" Emma asks Regina, recalling her earlier phone conversation with Henry. The last thing she wants is for Henry to be the one to reveal her identity. Also, she's still too much of a chicken shit to do it herself, so….might as well see if a few more hints could help Regina out.

"It's not going too well, unfortunately."

"Well, I'm going to give you two more clues. If you want them, that is." Regina leans forward in her chair, an eager expression on her face. Emma chuckles under her breath at the brunette's cuteness. She looks like a child who has just been told that Santa is real. "Okay, well, clue number 1: yellow is another color that is often associated with them. And clue number 2: they are  _always_  wearing a pair of jeans." Emma tells the brunette, watching closely to see if recognition will flash across the brunette's features. It doesn't.

"I've got nothing." Regina says after a few silent moments, a pout spreading across her face. Emma sighs, replaying Henry's words in her mind. Regina really is clueless. But then again, so is Emma, so she doesn't really have much room to talk.

"Well, that's all I can really give you. I guess another clue I can give, is that you know them very well." Emma offers. Regina's brows furrow as she goes into deep thought.

The buzzing of Regina's intercom, however, snaps both women out of their silent moment, which breaks Regina out of her thoughts. A second later, the crackling of a voice flows through the intercom. "Madame Mayor, is the sheriff still there, by any chance?"

"Yes, Margie, I'm still here. What's up?" Emma answers instead, causing Regina to quirk a brow at her. Emma offers her a bashful smile and a small shrug.

"Apparently, your father has been trying to reach you, but hasn't heard back from you. He needs you back at the station."

"Oh, okay. Tell him I'll be right there." Emma says to the intercom, as she rises up from her seat. "I'll see you later, Regina."

"Goodbye, Sheriff Swan." Regina responds formally. Emma rolls her eyes playfully, and begins heading towards the door, only to halt when Regina calls after her. "Oh, and Emma? Thank you again for the food. It is greatly appreciated." Emma nods at that, and waves—walking through the office's exit, and leaving Regina alone with her thoughts.

Red and green. The initials T and S. Yellow. Jeans. Someone she knows.

All of this sounds so familiar to her, but she still—

Wait a minute. Margie just said  _The Sheriff._

T.S.

Could that stand for  _The Sheriff_? Or  _The Savior_ , perhaps? T.S. stands for an appointed title, and both of those are appointed titles given to Emma by the townspeople.

As for the other clues; Emma is always wearing that god awful  _red_  leather jacket, and has piercing  _green_  eyes. Her hair can be considered  _yellow_ , and so is her eyesore of a car. Regina doesn't think there has ever been a time where the blonde wasn't wearing a pair of  _jeans_ , and Regina definitely  _knows_  the blonde very well.

Well, this is embarrassing. How could she have not seen all of the signs? They've been right in front of her all along! No wonder Henry has been so exasperated with her lately; his mom is a clueless idiot.  _She_  is a clueless idiot. Well, damn.

 _Emma_  is her secret admirer.


	5. Chapter 5

"Margie." Regina says into the intercom's speaker, pressing the button to make her voice heard at her receptionist's desk.

"Yes, Miss Mills?" A female voice says through the speaker, a light crackle accompanying her voice.

"Can you please call Emma Swan and inform her that Henry will be coming straight home today. Also, send her my apologies for disrupting her time with our son. Tell her something important has come up, and I'll need his assistance."

"On it, boss."

"Thank you, Margie." Regina says tiredly, her head colliding with the back of the chair with a dull thud. Regina sighs in disbelief, not quite believing her discovery.

Emma Swan is her secret admirer. Emma Swan has  _feelings_  for  _her_. Emma Swan wants to be  _with_  her. Emma Swan thinks she's beautiful and has an amazing smile. Regina's smile, apparently, makes Emma's day brighter. Emma Swan gushes about Regina to  _their_  son. Emma Swan thinks Regina is important enough to gush about.

Regina Mills is officially flabbergasted.

For the last five years, Regina has been fighting her feelings for the blonde—assuming that the blonde did not, and  _would never_ , return her affections. Oh, how wrong she was. Emma has gone to extreme lengths for the last few weeks—or if Regina is being honest with herself—the last few  _years_ , to make Regina feel special, included, and welcomed. At first, the women were, admittedly, hostile towards one another; Regina more so than Emma. But there has always been that underlying tension—sexual tension—that was just creeping beneath the surface of their thrown insults and heated arguments. At times, Regina would find herself getting lost in the blonde's eyes, doing her best to avert her gaze from the wounded puppy expression that would often accompany the blonde's, undoubtable, pout. That pout, and that wounded expression, has always been Regina's weakness; it often softened her hard exterior, making it hard for her to stay mad at the blonde, let alone insult her.

Of course, Regina has never admitted that to anyone; not even Henry. Though, by the looks of it, Henry seems to be highly aware of her feelings. He's always been naturally intuitive; which can be seen as both a good and bad trait. Bad, because it's hard to hide anything from him, and good, because he won't ask a plethora of painful questions—assuming he's aware of your current emotional state. Yes, her son is a genius; but he's also a little sneak. He's known all of this time that Emma was her secret admirer, yet he refused to say anything. Sure, Regina understands that he is not one to reveal one's secrets or betray one's trust—but still—she  _is_  his mother. He could have just thrown her a bone.

The brunette purses her lips—tapping her index finger against her chin—as she thinks up a plan to get back at her son and his other mother. Not that Regina didn't find all of Emma's gestures absolutely adorable and sweet—because she did; she just feels that she has a right to get back at Emma for all of the times she's looked like a fool in front of her. Instead of the blonde coming clean about her secret identity, she chose to keep Regina in the dark. Fool her once, shame on you; fool her twice, shame on her; fool her thirteen times, get ready for revenge.

* * *

 

"Hey, mom. Ma said you wanted me to come directly home today. She said that it was an emergency?" Henry asks as he enters the living room, spotting his mother sitting primly on the couch with a glass of cider in her hand. Regina looks up at her son expressionlessly, leaning forward to place her glass atop the coaster on the coffee table. Henry's brows furrow at his mom's odd behavior; not exactly sure what to make of it.

"Come here, Henry. I think you and I need to have a little chat." Regina says coolly, unnerving her son a great deal as he cautiously takes a seat beside her. Regina internally laughs at the fear and guilt on her son's face.

"What's up, mom?" The teen asks nervously, eyeing his mother curiously.

"Emma is my secret admirer—and yet—you didn't think to tell me."

"So, you finally know?" She nods. "About time, mom!" Henry exclaims with a large grin. Regina rolls her eyes at him and holds up a hand to halt his excitement. Henry stares at her in confusion, snapping his mouth shut for a moment, before opening it again hesitantly. "Wait, isn't this a good thing? I mean, you and ma have been in love for years. Are you not excited about this?" Regina's eyes widen at the word "love".

"I am  _not_  in love with Emma Swan; I am simply  _in like_  with her." She defends. Henry rolls his eyes at her denial and leans back against the couch cushions.

"Of course you're not." He says sarcastically with an exasperated eye roll. When will his mother's denial end? "Either way, this proves that your feelings for one another is mutual. Why aren't you happy?"

"I am not happy because you two played me like a fool. I know that wasn't either of you two's intention, but for over a week, I have been struggling to piece together your tiny hints, and neither of you thought to just tell me."

"But ma asked me not to..."

"I understand quite well, dear." Regina says with a chilling smile, one that, in Henry's opinion, can rival her Evil Queen smile. He can tell that whatever she's going to say next is something he isn't going to like. "Well, Henry, I am going to ask something of you too."

"What is it?" He asks reluctantly, not liking the mischievous smirk spreading across his mother's lips. He is  _definitely_  not going to like what she has planned.

* * *

 

"Delivery for Miss Emma Swan." A familiar voice says from the doorway of the sheriff's office, snapping the blonde's attention away from her tedious paperwork. Emma looks up from her work—eyes widening when she catches sight of the boy standing before her. Emma's shock is evident on her face, but once she fully comprehends the sight before her, a loud laugh escapes her mouth. The teenager pouts as the woman continues to laugh at his expense, wanting nothing more than to disappear in that moment. "Ma! Stop!" Henry whines—his cheeks tinging a dark shade of pink. Emma roams her eyes over her son—from head to toe—taking in his unusual, but admittedly hilarious, attire. She takes in his green pointed cloth shoes, his candy cane striped tights, his long-sleeved green shirt—paired with a brown belt fastened around the waist—and the pointed green beanie sitting atop his head.

"Whoa, way to get into the Christmas spirit, kid." Emma exclaims with a loud bark of laughter, causing a very Regina-like scowl to cross his face. This only serves to fuel her amusement, however, and that's when Emma finds herself bent over her desk, clutching her stomach, and laughing at a surprisingly loud volume. Henry glares at his blonde mother, crossing his arms over his chest, and allowing his scowl to deepen. Once Emma's belly hurts too much from laughing, she takes in a deep breath to calm herself—straightening herself up in her chair—and offers her son a, thinly veiled, amused smirk. "Why are you dressed up like that?" She asks in amusement, her voice cracking with terribly subdued laughter. Henry rolls his eyes at his ma, and walks up to her, handing her a bouquet and a card. "What's this?"

"Open it." He says impatiently, tapping his cloth-clad foot against the station floor. Emma tries not to point out how cute he looks as an angry elf—not wanting to embarrass him any further. Emma takes the card from him, reading over the short and simple message.

_Your ass looked amazing in those jeans today.—E.Q._

Emma looks down at the message with her brows furrowed in confusion. "Who is  _E.Q_.?" Henry's eyes widen in disbelief. She can't be serious, can she? Taking one look at her face, however, proves that she really has no clue. So, it turns out he has two clueless moms. Splendid.

"The initials stand for an appointed title, ma. The same people who gave you your title as the savior, are the same people who gave the title that begins with those two letters. Think hard, ma. Let it come to you." He says as patiently as he can; which isn't really patient at all. He cannot believe that he's going through this a second time—considering the fact that his blonde mother is the one who came up with the whole  _bouquet sending_  in the first place. Seriously, what is in the food his mothers are eating? Is he going to become this clueless when he gets older, too?

"Equestrian?" Henry smacks his palm against his forehead in disbelief.

"You cannot be serious." He mumbles to himself quietly.

"What? What does it stand for?" She asks with a pout.

"The Evil Queen, ma! Evil. Queen. You know what? I am done with you and mom. Done. Do you want to know why I am dressed up like this? Because mom figured out that you were her secret admirer, and because I was in on the secret, she felt that I needed to be punished. And you know what? It is all your fault! I am done helping either of you. Here, take these! These are the rest of the cards I was supposed to deliver to you until you figured it out, but hey! I just told you, so you're welcome!" Henry says in exasperation, slamming a wad of postcards onto Emma's desk. Emma's eyes widen in surprise at her son's outburst, her mouth hanging agape.

"Henry…"

"No. Do not  _Henry_  me. I had to walk here—in this costume—in front of all the townspeople. And not just any townspeople either, but Grace! Grace, ma! Do you understand how embarrassing this is? All I wanted was for you and mom to get together—"

"Henry—"

"—but no, you two had to be ridiculously clueless and make things twice as hard as they should actually be—"

"Henry—"

"—and you know what? That's all fine and dandy for you two, but from now on, leave me out of it. Sort out your own relationship! I—"

"Henry! Kid, calm down. I'm sorry that you're in this position. Look, I have a bag in David's desk drawer that contains some clothes of yours. If you would like to change, be my guest." Emma informs her irritated son. Henry grumbles under his breath and walks over to David's desk, pulling open the drawer and reaching for the bag. Emma watches as he sifts through it, eventually pulling out a flannel button-down and a pair of jeans. "You're free to change in the interrogation room." She informs her son with a shrug. Henry grumbles under his breath again, making his way to the interrogation room. Emma's shoulders shakes with silent laughter as she watches her elven son go. She shakes her in amusement, smiling at the fact that, even though Regina is no longer the  _Evil Queen_ , she still knows how to give cruel—and admittedly hilarious—punishments.

Maybe that isn't something to be smiling about. She  _is_  in trouble with the brunette, after all. Emma looks down at the stack of holiday-themed postcards on her desk, biting her lip in curiosity as she tries to figure out what type of content each card holds. Instead of allowing her mind to wonder too long, Emma takes up the first card in the stack, opening it slowly, and reading over the short message.

_Do you know what gets me hot? Imagining you in nothing but your red leather jacket.—E.Q._

_I want to ride you, like Santa rides his sleigh.—E.Q._

_Santa's not the only one who owns a shop of toys. Figure out my identity, and I'll show you my collection.—E.Q._

Emma continues reading the rest of the cards with unsteady breaths, her eyes widening an extra inch each time she opens a new card. By the time she gets to the last card, her face is burning bright red, and her forehead is sweating profusely. Henry exits the interrogation room, now wearing his flannel shirt and jeans, as well his pointed elf shoes—unfortunately for him, Emma didn't have a pair of his shoes at the station—and stops in front of his ma's desk, watching the normally composed sheriff look sweaty and out of breath.

"You okay, ma?"

"Y-yeah, I-I am fine. G-great, even. Um, let's go see your mom." Emma stutters out, her voice reduced to nothing but a squeak. Henry's brows furrow at her odd behavior, following closely behind her as she rushes out of the station, and to her car. He enters his ma's car, sliding into the passenger's seat, and stares at his ma as she tries, and fails, to get a grip on her seat belt. His head tilts to the side in thought, wondering what caused his ma's strange behavior, until his eyes widen in realization and fright. His mom totally wrote inappropriate messages in those cards.

"Gross." He mumbles under his breath as his blonde mother finally gets a grip on her seatbelt, and manages to click it in place. He's beginning to regret wanting to help get his moms together.

Is it too late for him to resign from his wingman position?


	6. Chapter 6

"Ma, just let me use my key." Henry groans at his blonde mother, rolling his eyes as she stands in front of the Mills residence, her hand raised in the position to knock, but remains hovered in the air—completely immobile.

The pair has been standing at the front door of the Mills mansion for the last fifteen minutes, and Emma has yet to knock. Though, Henry doesn't understand the point of knocking when he has a house key; it is his house, after all. Emma puts her hand down to her sides—for the fifth time in that fifteen minute time period—and stares wide-eyed at the front door, her bottom lip captured between her teeth. Henry rolls his eyes for what feels like the millionth time that week, and, gently, pushes her aside, retrieving his key from his jeans pocket, and pushing the key into the lock. As soon as he has the door unlocked and open, he makes his way inside and up the stairs, leaving his ma standing on the front porch.

Emma remains on the steps of the front porch longer than necessary—staring into the home with a sense of excitement and dread. A huge part of her wants to go inside and see Regina; but another part of her wants to flee—running as far away from the brunette as possible. Her body decides to go with her first option, however—her feet already walking into the house on their own accord. As Emma begins walking through the foyer, and into the living room, she sees the brunette in question lounging comfortably on the couch, completely engrossed in a novel. Emma stares at the brunette in awe, watching as the woman licks her index finger, and gently uses it to turn the page. The blonde allows her eyes to roam over the brunette's unusual attire that consists of black track pants, a white camisole, and a pair of thick-framed reading glasses. Emma, then, takes in the woman's makeup free face and perfectly coiffed hair, feeling a smile begin to tug at the corners of her mouth. Emma finds it baffling that this woman is incapable of being anything less than beautiful.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day, or are you going to come in and join me?" Regina asks suddenly, her eyes never looking up from her novel. Emma jumps—completely startled at the fact that she's been caught—and clears her throat awkwardly, making slow strides into the living room. Emma takes a seat on the couch opposite Regina, and averts her gaze from the brunette, her bottom lip mashed between her teeth. Regina glances at Emma from over the top of her book, and smirks, finding great amusement in the blonde's awkward, but admittedly adorable, behavior. Regina bookmarks her current page and gently places her book onto the coffee table, deciding to give the blonde her undivided attention. "So, I'm assuming you figured out my identity?"

"Y-yeah. Well, to be honest, if it weren't for Henry, I'd probably have taken much longer to figure out what  _E.Q._  stood for." Emma mumbles out truthfully, offering the brunette a small, awkward smile. Regina chuckles at this, and leans back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other.

"It looks like we're both clueless idiots." The brunette muses.

"It looks like we are. I guess that's why we're so perfect for each other, huh?" Emma says unwittingly—her eyes widening, and her cheeks burning—as she realizes the implication that just escaped her mouth. From the looks of it, Regina is just as shocked, seeing as her cheeks have become a shade darker, and her heart has begun jackhammering against her ribcage. "I'm sorry, that was a bit forward. But then again, so were all of your little notes." Emma says pointedly, staring at Regina with a mixture of smugness and anxiety. Regina uncomfortably clears her throat, and shrugs.

"I just wanted to get back at you."

"By making me feel like I was about to explode?"

"Well, yeah. I was about to explode from curiosity; it's only fair that you'd get to experience that feeling as well."

"The type of explosion I'm talking about, is definitely not the same type of explosion you're talking about." Emma says with a quirked brow. Regina smirks at this, and offers another shrug.

"What can I say? The Evil Queen is still a part of me."

"I can see that, and if I'm being honest, I kind of like it. She's almost as sexy as  _everyday_  Regina."

"Really?" Regina asks in genuine surprise, her head tilted to the side in question.

"Well, yeah. The Evil Queen may not be who you are anymore, but she's still a part of you…and, well, I love and accept every part of you." Emma says truthfully, shrugging a little self-consciously. Regina's eyes widen at the blonde's usage of the "L" word. It seems that word has been used quite a bit lately—mostly by her son when referring to her and Emma's feelings for one another. Where Regina is too much of a coward to use the "L" word, Emma just throws it out there so casually, yet, so meaningfully. Did Emma really love her?

"You love me?" Regina asks quietly, shock evident in her tone. Emma smiles bashfully at the brunette and nods slightly.

"Well, yeah, I mean, you kind of make it hard not to. I've been in love with you for  _years_ , Regina. This shouldn't really be news to you. I mean, I did just spend a rather large amount of money on flowers and gifts for you." Emma says with a nonchalant shrug, smiling internally at Regina's gob smacked expression.

"Wow…well, I did love the flowers and gifts. I loved the notes as well. They were the best part of my day." Regina says with a small smile.

"I'm glad. You deserved them. I always love seeing you smile." Emma says softly, her smile widening when a beautiful smile stretches across Regina's face. The two sit in comfortable silence for a few moments, occasionally sharing shy glances and smiles. "This is the part where you tell me you're in love with me too." Emma says mock-seriously, nodding her head to Regina as if to say "go ahead; say it". Regina rolls her eyes at the blonde dork before her, and shakes her head in amusement.

"I feel very strongly for you, but I don't know for sure if it's love."

"Well, is there a way to find out?" Emma asks, staring at the brunette with wide, hopeful eyes. Regina smiles at the blonde and nods.

"There is one way…"

"What is it? Whatever it is, I'll do it." Emma says excitedly, sitting at the edge of her seat. Regina smiles softly at the woman and gets up from her seat, making her way towards Emma. Emma watches the brunette take a seat beside her, her green eyes now shining with curiosity. Regina turns towards Emma, gently cupping her hand around Emma's cheek—the pad of her thumb making gentle strokes against the soft flesh. Emma leans into the touch, allowing her eyes to flick over Regina's facial features—from her eyelashes, to her nose, to her mouth. Regina notices where Emma's attention has gone—and with little hesitation—leans her face forward, brushing her lips against the blonde's. Emma's breath hitches when she feels the plump, soft lips, make contact with hers, and before she has time to overthink it, she adds more pressure to the brunette's lips; deepening the kiss. As the kiss becomes more heated and passionate, a sudden rush of air blows over them—a dancing flicker of light accompanying it. The two women pull back from one another quickly, their eyes wide with shock, and their mouths hanging open.

"Uh…"

"Um…"

"Did we just…?"

"I-I think so…"

"It's about time!" Henry exclaims from the living room entrance, a satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Regina and Emma look towards him with wide eyes, both completely out of breath, and red in the face. Henry notices this and allows his smirk to transform into a genuine smile. "I'm happy for you guys."

"But—"

"You just shared true love's kiss. I knew you guys were meant to be. This is great." Henry says happily, his anger and humiliation from the last hour completely forgotten. He walks over to his moms, and pulls them into an awkward group hug. "I love you guys." He whispers in their ear, causing both women to be filled with warmth.

"Well, thanks kid. You do realize that was only our first kiss though, right?" Emma says to him with a smirk. Henry pulls back from the hug and takes a seat on the coffee table, now facing his mothers.

"We haven't even gone on a date yet." Regina points out.

"You've been on plenty of dates. All those times that you two went out to lunch together? Date. All those times you would cook for ma when I wasn't home? Date. Whenever you two have gone out for drinks during my weekends with grandpa? Date. You've been on hundreds of dates." Henry points out, daring his mothers to disagree with him. They don't.

"Kid's got a point." Emma says to Regina. Regina looks at Emma, and smirks.

"You're right. He does." Regina says lowly, causing a shiver to travel down the blonde's spine.

"What are you thinking?" Emma asks.

"I'm thinking that since you and I have apparently been on multiple dates, that maybe we should try one of the suggestions I wrote on the cards. I mean, it technically wouldn't be considered trashy or anything. We are, apparently, destined for one another." Regina suggests with a seductive smile, her dark eyes staring into Emma's lustfully. Emma's throat goes dry at the look, and she finds herself shaking with excitement.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Um…guys…I'm still here." Henry croaks out awkwardly, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable. Emma reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her wallet, and takes out a few bills—throwing them haphazardly into Henry's lap.

"Here's fifty dollars; go out and have fun." Emma tells him hurriedly, her eyes never leaving Regina's.

"But—"A puff of purple smoke cuts him off, and suddenly, an extra fifty dollar bill lands in his lap.

"Why don't you go buy that new video game you wanted? Maybe buy yourself a few bags of candy. Maybe you should go see a movie while you're at it." Regina lists off, her eyes darkening as they zero in on Emma's tongue swiping across her bottom lip. "Might as well go see your friend, Connor, as well. I'm sure he'd love to play your new video game with you."

"I haven't even bought the game yet…"

"Henry, please…just go do something fun." Emma pleads, her body rising in temperature as she watches Regina's eyes go from brown to black in a matter of seconds. Henry looks between his mothers in confusion.

"Why are you two—oh. Oh! Ew. Gosh. Gross. I'm going, I'm going." Henry says with a grossed out expression, rising up from his seat on the coffee table, and practically running out of the house. He's scarred for life and he hasn't even seen anything yet. Hopefully he never will.

"So…I believe you said something about Santa's sleigh…" Emma says with a quirked brow, causing a sexy smirk to cross Regina's lips. Instead of answering verbally, Regina transports them to her bedroom, nothing but purple smoke left in their wake.

Yeah, Emma would say her 2 weeks of sending flowers and gifts as a way to woo Regina was a success. And maybe Henry helped a little too. Okay, more like  _a lot._  Because of him, she and Regina are now together and about to consummate their love for one another. It looks like everything worked out for the best.

He's officially the best wingman ever.

_THE END_


	7. Epilogue

"We shouldn't be doing this, Regina. Henry is going to kill us."

"He can kill us after he gets the girl. It's only a matter of time before she figures out the hints we left in that card."

" _Hints_? Is  _that_  what we're calling them now? Regina, you blatantly gave the girl his initials, what class they have together, and even went as far as mentioning the color of his eyes. There's no mystery to it at all!"

Regina scoffs at her fiancée's disbelieving tone, and shrugs, not one to be deterred. She sees the girl in question open the card the two women left for her, her eyes roaming over the words with a dubious expression on her face, before a small smile graces her lips, and her eyes twinkle with delight. Upon seeing the girl's reaction, Regina turns to her fiancée, a smug expression on her face. Emma rolls her eyes at the brunette, and focuses her attention back to the teenage girl sitting a few tables away from them.

It's been 8 months since Regina and Emma have become an item, and in that time period, many changes have occurred for the family of three. Emma moved into the mansion with the two brunettes, just three months after she and Regina became official. Henry decided to move his room to the first floor in an effort to never hear what his mothers get up to in the bedroom. So far, he's been mostly successful. Key word:  _mostly_.

Two months ago, Regina cooked an extravagant meal; one where Emma, Henry, Ruby, Charming, and Snow were in attendance. After the group of six were in all forms of fullness, happiness, and high spirits, Regina suggested that they all move their gathering to the living room. As soon as they had all migrated to the couches and love seats placed in the living room, Regina had cleared her throat loudly, catching the attention of all in attendance, and smiled nervously around the room. Within seconds of getting everyone's attention, she had unceremoniously dropped down to one knee, eliciting surprised gasps from everyone in the room—excluding her son—and poofed a small, red, jewelry box into her outstretched palm, purple mist swirling around it as it fully materialized.

She opened the box, revealing a simple silver band, with a diamond cut gemstone—Emma's birthstone—placed in the center of it. She knew that Emma wasn't big on material items, and was a very simple person. Regina, of course, respected Emma's affinity for simplicity. After spouting off a sarcastic, yet incredibly genuine and warm proposal, Emma wasted no time in saying "yes", and even though Regina's relationship with Charming and Snow remained tentative at best, she received their surprisingly genuine blessings. Ruby wasted no time in congratulating the pair, seeing as she was there to witness their blooming relationship from the beginning. But, of course, she was still the town gossip, and within the next twenty-four hours, everyone in Storybrooke knew of the Swan-Mills engagement.

Henry was thrilled at the prospect of his mothers getting married, and wasted no time in offering his help with the wedding planning. Of course, his ideas turned out to be hormonal teenage boy-oriented, and even though Emma agreed with his many ideas—half-naked servers for the wedding reception and a motorcycle wedding entrance—Regina had to kindly let the boy down. He was disappointed, of course, as was Emma, but they quickly got over it and moved on to other, more appropriate, ideas.

The wedding was set to happen in three weeks, and everyone in Storybrooke was invited. It was said to be the most anticipated event of the year, and everyone was excited to see the two former enemies get hitched; Henry, especially. With the event only weeks away, both women were surprised to hear that Henry still didn't have a date. They were both aware of the feelings their son had for Jefferson's daughter, Grace, and they witnessed, on multiple occasions, how tongue tied the boy got around the girl. In an effort to help their son get the girl of his dreams, if only for a day, they decided to bring back a certain project of theirs. Or, well, a project Emma and Henry came up with many months ago.

Project Wingman is a go.

Again.

This is day three of their project, and Regina and Emma have made an effort keep their notes and gifts teen-oriented. Day one involved a bouquet of gardenias, and a note resting atop them. The note simply said:  _These flowers convey my feelings for you. You're a beautiful girl, with an even more beautiful smile. –Your secret admirer, H.S.M._

Emma laughed at Regina that day, asking her if she had any idea that those initials could also stand for  _High School Musical_. Regina raised an eyebrow at that, a puzzled expression on her face, and informed the blonde that she had never even heard of such a thing.

Day two consisted of a copy of  _High School Musical_ , sent by Emma this time, and a note that read:  _You are 'What I've Been Looking For'. Watch the movie, and you'll understand what I mean. –Your secret admirer, H.S.M._

Regina hadn't been amused.

But Emma was. She found it hysterical, and judging by Grace's expression when she received the gift and read the note,she found it hysterical as well.

Day three, which was today, consisted of a large,  _Hershey's_  bar—Henry's favorite—and a note that stated:  _I bet you're wondering who I am. Just look for the guy in your homeroom class with deep green eyes, and the Hershey's Bar in his hand. —Your secret admirer, H.S.M._

This note was the icing on the cake. Emma just knew it. If this girl didn't figure out the identity of the admirer—or, the supposed admirer—(their son was going to kill them when he found out) then the next note, if written by Regina, will blatantly state Henry's name, address, date of birth, and probably even the location of his birth mark. Her fiancée was the less subtle of the two. To think that this was the same woman who managed to keep her Evil Queen secret for 28 years.

As the two sit in Granny's, watching Grace's face for any spark of recognition, they see it appear as soon as Granny's door opens, and in walks their son. They watch as the girl's eyes light up at the sight of their son, and they both feel a warmth spread throughout their chests at the look of unbridled affection. Henry's eyes widen at the look being sent his way by his crush, and he freezes when they girl's arms wrap around him in a surprisingly tight hug.

"Um, hi, Grace."

"You are such a sweetheart, Henry!"

"Wha-what did I do?" He squeaks out, his eyes widening in surprise when the girl pulls back slightly, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

"The little notes and gifts you've been sending me for the last three days, silly! I had a feeling it was you by yesterday when you sent me a copy of High School Musical, mainly because I know you secretly like it, and you always used to mention how if you were to take both of your mothers' last names, that you would have the same initials as High School Musical. But anyway, thank you for the flowers and the notes. They really made my day." Grace spouts off, her smile getting wider, as Henry grows more confused.

He has no idea what the girl is talking about. But the whole situation sounds familiar, and it is then that everything clicks. He turns his attention towards his mothers who are sitting a few tables away, their expressions a mix of pride and amusement, and sends them a bemused look. They chuckle at his look of displeasure, and offer him a thumbs up. A small smile tugs at his lips when Grace pulls back from their hug, staring at Henry with a look of adoration. He knows his mothers did this for a reason, and even though he hates the fact that they decided to meddle in his potential love life—which he finds absolutely mortifying—he sees a window of opportunity he has to take.

"I was wondering if you would like to, um, if you would like to—ya know. Maybe be my date to my mothers' wedding?" He asks nervously, his palms sweating, and his eyes darting to his mothers' as they look on in anticipation of Grace's answer.

"How about I do you one better? How about we go out this weekend first? I was already planning to go to your mothers' wedding with you if you would have asked." Grace says with a smirk, giggling at the widening of Henry's eyes.

"Y-yeah. That-that would be great." Did she just ask him out?

"Great. Say, Saturday at 7? You can come pick me up and we can go see a movie?" She suggests, her smirk widening at Henry's stuttered response. With the date set, she giggles at Henry, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in class tomorrow." And with that, she saunters out of the diner with her chocolate bar and card in hand. Henry watches her leave, seemingly caught in a trance, and turns back to his mothers', taking in their pleased smiles, and smug faces.

He walks over to them, taking a seat at their table, and stares at them with an unimpressed expression on his face.

"Hey, kid. Good job at getting Grace to go out with you. I knew you had it in you."

"I didn't know you were such a romantic, Henry. I wonder who you got it from."

"I don't whether to be annoyed or grateful." He states, his conflicting emotions dancing across his face.

"We like the sound of grateful, don't we, Regina?" Emma says with a smirk. Regina nods in agreement, her smirk mirroring her fiancée's. Henry sighs at their expressions, sagging back into his chair with a sigh.

"I'm going out with Grace." He states in surprise.

"You are." Regina says with a smile.

"This means Project Wingman has worked once again." Emma tells him.

"Well, at least it only took three clues for her to figure out it was me, or, supposedly me. My future girlfriend is sharper than you two." He says with a self-satisfied smirk, laughing as his mothers scoff and deny his statement.

"We'll see you at home, Henry."

"Where are you guys going?"

"Home. I would walk into the house with caution if I were you." Emma says with a teasing smirk as she and Regina poof out of the diner, purple smoke left in their wake. Henry rolls his eyes at them, and stays put in his seat after their magical departure.

He would never admit it to his mothers, but they were pretty good wingmen. Totally embarrassing, yes, but they got him the girl with three silly notes and three silly little gifts. He has no idea what any of the three notes said, but whatever was in them was good enough to get Grace to not only agree to go out with him, but to actually  _ask_  him out.

It looks like  _Project Wingman_  has worked yet again.

He's sure that his future siblings will use this method of getting their romantic interests to notice them, as well.

His mothers aren't aware of this, but he's overheard them discussing the prospect of having another child. And judging by the constant discussions of baby names, and possible donors, he's pretty sure the plan for a baby has already been put in motion.

Soon,  _Project Big Brother_  will be put in motion, and he can't wait.

But, first, until that time comes,  _Project Don't Screw up Your Date with Grace_ , will be his main priority.


End file.
